Game apparatus



Dec. M, i937. L.v E. JOHNSON ET AL 2,l02,535

GAME APPARATUS Filed gan. 25, 195'/ wifi '41's 5 -eml Jahnsamyg,

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Patented Dec.y 14, 1937 GAME APPARATUS Loren E. Johnson vand Benedict C Bordonaro,

. Olean, N. Y

Application January 25, 1937, Serial No. 122,282

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a gaine apparatus and, more particularly, relates to a chance controlled device for determining the winner of a prize offered as an inducement to encourage more frequent patronage for theaters. The game is `part of a plan or method which is carried out in playlet in which the form` of a dramatic skit or the audience takes part. Y

The plan comprises. awarding a, prize to a patron of the particular theater or motion picture house visited,` on the occasion that the plan is in'operation. `It is an object of the plan to choose, by means of the appar-atus hereinafter described, a month and date of the year, and to award a prize tothe person or persons present in the audience whose birthday, happens to fall on the date chosen by means of this apparatus. The apparatus also provides means for determining whether the recipient of the awardshall be male or female. i

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which like reference characters refer to| like parts in the several figures.

VIn this drawing, r Y Y Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device;

Figure 2 is a side elevation thereof, with a portion of the base broken away;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional detail along line 37-3 of Figure 1.

The apparatus Yconsists of a suitable Vbase VI which supports a vertical standard '2. At a suitable point this standard is transflxed by a bolt or shaft 3, secured thereto by any desirable means, such as a nut 4 and collar 5. Rotatably mounted on this shaftare a series of concentric Vdiscs or dials 6, 'Land 8 which are spaced from each other by means of spacing collars 9 which are suitablypinned to the shaft 3. These dials increase progressively in diameter in the order namedso asV to leave visible aV marginal portion Adjacent the periphery of each Y 'of these dials-a series of equidistantly `spaced pins Y l0 are secured in any suitable manner of the last two.

around the m-arginalportions thereof but are preferably arranged midway between the dividing 1. linesfof the parts hereinafter referred to. The

marginalportion of the largest disk 8 is divided into twelve equal parts which are designated by the names of the months of the year. The next smaller and adjacent disk I is likewise divided into a number of equal parts which bear as visible indicia the numbers of the days of a month, consecutively arranged. The smallestand foremost disk is also divided into a number of equal por- Y tions which are Ainscribed with the notation lmale, female occurring alternately around (o1. 27s- 142) Y theentire face of the disk adjacent the periphery thereof.V Y

The standard 2, at a'point above the uppermost portion of the disk 8, has an arm Il extending therefrom parallel to the shaft 3. From this arm, flexible spring. fingers l2, suitably spaced, extend downwardly, each engaging the pins I0 of one of the disks 6, 'I and 8. preferably made inv a large size, about the height of a man, so that it may be viewed on the stage from all portions of the house.

In use, one or more members of the audience may be invited up to the stage toroperate the device. The disks may be rotated by grasping one of the pins it and giving Ythe wheel a quick The device is spin as will be obvious from the-construction.

` each performance', and the dramatization may be different for successive performances, as desired, or the` same skit may be re-enacted for subsequent Vperformances of the same attraction since the performers will. not be the same ifV Achosen from the audience.

It will be understood thatrthe choice of a winner is made when all of the disks have been rotated and allowed to come to a stop, the flexible fingers l2 exerting a braking influence. The name of the month appearing at the top of the device, and the date and sex indicated on the top of the adjacent disks and in vertical alignment with the month designates the winning combination, and the person or persons in the audience whosebrthday falls on that date may claim the prize. In the event that more than one claimant appears, the prize may be duplicated, and if no claimant-appears for that particular performance, the prizes maybe permitted to accumulate for the next performance.

f Having thus described our method and apparatus, we claim: Y

A game apparatus for selecting avprizerwinner according to date of birth and sex which comprises a base, a standard supported thereon, a shaft projecting therefrom, dials mounted on said shaft, said dials being individually, independently and selectively rotatable thereon, means for individually and independently'stopping the rotation of each dial and indicia carried by said dials so arranged as to indicate a month, date and sex adjacent said stopping means when said 

